RADIATION MONITORING WITH NUCLEAR EMULSIONS ON PROJECT GEMINI. 1. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND EVALUATION PROCEDURES: PARTIAL RESULTS ON MISSIONS 4 AND 5.
Abstract
On Gemini 4 and 5, small packs of nuclear emulsions combined with other radiation sensors to flat pliable units were worn by the astronauts inside their space suits. Track and grain counting of 200 micra llford G.5 and K.2 emulsion pairs in the packs furnished the particle and energy spectrum of the radiation incident upon the astronaut's body. Evaluation of flux and energy spectrum in terms of millirad dose showed that the bulk of the exposure was due to trapped protons picked up in the South Atlantic Anomaly. The energy spectrum of the proton flux within the ship on the body of the astronaut is a continuum extending from zero to about 300 Mev, with a broad, well -developed maximum in the 30 to 40 Mev region. Because of the large fractional flux of low energy particles, the radiation level sensitively depends on local shield geometry producing variations of dose rate at different locations in the capsule of at least 60 per cent. Representative total doses were 48 millirads on Gemini 4 and 105 millirads on Gemini 5. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 18, 1966
- Accession Number
- AD0631989
Entities
People
- Hermann J. Schaefer
- Jeremiah J. Sullivan
Organizations
- Naval Aerospace Medical Institute